Good Example Of Non Verbal Communication Essay

It is a widely known fact that almost half the communication during a day is non-verbal in nature. We communicate by certain gestures using our hands, faces and eyes. However, a gesture may be interpreted differently by people of different cultures. Let us consider the gestures used in America compared to those used in India.
In India, the left hand is not used to do the task because it is considered the ‘unclean’ hand. To accept a gift or something to eat with one’s left hand is not appreciated whereas, in America, no such restriction exists. Moreover, to show the bottom of one’s feet to someone is considered extremely offensive whereas no such interpretation is made in America. The thumbs-up is used in America to wish good luck or to communicate appreciation. However, in certain areas of India, thumbs-up is a kind of a curse. In order to greet someone, a person bows while placing both his hands together as it is an integral part of Indian culture, together with the word ‘Namaste’. In America, a polite hello and a handshake are used to greet everyone.
It is very easy to miscommunicate by using a hand gesture that is interpreted completely differently in another country. My friend’s father went to India on an office trip and gave a thumbs-up to a taxi driver. The taxi driver thought that my friend’s father wished ill for him. The taxi driver was incensed and refused to drive him any further. My friend’s father later discovered the reason behind this reaction of the taxi-driver. It was because he had used an offensive gesture according to that region’s customs.